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Illumination Entertainment
Natalie Fischer (COO) | industry = Film | products = Films | production = | services = | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | aum = | assets = | equity = | owner = Comcast | num_employees = 35 (2012) 300 (Illumination Mac Guff) (2012) | parent = Universal Studios | mascot = Gru's Minions | subsid = Illumination Mac Guff | homepage = | footnotes = | intl = }} Illumination Entertainment is an American film production company, founded by Chris Meledandri in 2007. It has an exclusive financing and distribution partnership with Universal Studios and it is based in Santa Monica, California. The company is best known for its 2010 animated feature Despicable Me, which was the first film by the company. Its sequel, Despicable Me 2 was released on July 3, 2013, and its spin-off Minions is set for release on December 19, 2014. History Meledandri left his post as President of 20th Century Fox Animation in early 2007 where he supervised or executive produced movies including Ice Age, its sequel The Meltdown, Robots, Alvin and the Chipmunks and Horton Hears a Who!. After leaving, he founded Illumination Entertainment. By 2008, a deal was announced positioning Illumination as NBC Universal’s family entertainment arm that would produce one to two films a year starting in 2010. It is co-owned by Universal who exclusively distributes the films, but Illumination retains creative control as an independent production company. During the summer 2011, Illumination acquired the animation department of the French animation and visual effects studio Mac Guff, which animated Despicable Me and The Lorax, and formed Illumination Mac Guff. [http://www.societe.com/societe/illumination-mac-guff-533478434.html Juridic informations about Illumination Mac Guff] Process Meledandri is determined to keep his company adhering to a low-cost model, recognizing that “strict cost controls and hit animated films are not mutually exclusive.” In an industry where movie expenses often exceed $100 million, Illumination’s first two releases were completed with significantly lower budgets, considering Despicable Me’s $69 million budget and the $63 million budget of Hop. One way the company sustains a lean financial model is by employing cost-conscious animation techniques that lower the expenses and render times of its computer graphics. Current projects The studio's first film, 3D CGI feature, Despicable Me, starring Steve Carell was released on July 9, 2010, and was a smash hit, earning $56 million on its opening weekend, and going on to earn $251 million domestically and $543 million worldwide. Illumination's second film was the live action/CGI hybrid Hop, starring Russell Brand and James Marsden. The talking-animal flick opened to a much bigger than expected $37 million opening, and ended up with $108 million domestically and $183 million worldwide. The latest film from the studio, an adaptation of Dr. Seuss' The Lorax, debuted on March 2, 2012, earning $70 million on its opening weekend, and eventually found its way to $214 million stateside and $348 million worldwide. Illumination is currently in production on the spin-off to Despicable Me, titled Minions, scheduled for 2014, a untitled original film scheduled for 2015 and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker scheduled for 2016. Other films in pre-production include the animated feature adaptation of Ricky Gervais’ Flanimals books, a 3D stop-motion animated film based on The Addams Family cartoons by Charles Addams, which Tim Burton will direct, a CGI adaptation of the Uglydoll toy franchise, which creators David Horvath and Sun-Min-Kim will executive produce. In May 2011, Illumination announced that it will be working with Universal Studios to create, Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem, a 3-D ride that will open at the Universal Studios Florida theme park in 2012. The ride officially opened on July 2, 2012. Filmography Feature films Released films Upcoming films Films in development Short films References External links * * * Official YouTube channel Category:American animation studios Category:Companies based in Los Angeles, California Category:Companies established in 2007 Category:Universal Studios Category:Film production companies of the United States Category:Companies